- Levels of nitrogen in sediment increased toward the surface in three of the four cores collected, indicating an increase in nutrients from parts of the watershed. The nitrogen level in sediment doubled at the northernmost core site, beginning in the mid-1950s.

- Algal diatoms (microscopic organisms) point to major shifts toward more eutrophic (overfertilized) conditions, starting in the 1940 to 1950s time frame. That’s a sign of impacts from increasing population and land use in the northern part of Barnegat Bay. The southernmost core site is in a rural or semi-rural area and was the least affected.

- Wetlands in Barnegat Bay can sequester about 79 percent of the nitrogen and 54 percent of the phosphorus estimated to be entering the water from upland sources, illustrating the importance of maintaining and enhancing marshes.

- Salt marshes are vulnerable to inundation if the rate of sea level rise accelerates in the future.